Social Media Time Management for Small Businesses

Posted 05/28/2013 by Crestmark Bank

Small businesses are told to have a social media strategy to stay competitive. For the most part, they know it’s necessary; they’re just not sure where to go with it. Which social media outlets are most successful? Which platform will get your company the most publicity? How do you manage your time between the endless amounts of new social platforms being released every day? With all the other management and marketing strategies your business has going on, social media may seem like the last thing you want to add to your “to-do” list. However, it doesn’t have to be a stressful process.

Develop a Plan: First and foremost, before just jumping into the social media pool, you’ll need to have a solid strategy. Don’t just start posting and commenting without a plan. Know your target audience; get a feel for who you’re trying to reach and what you’re trying to get out of using social media to reach customers. This will help you maintain credibility and relevance as a business.

Test the Waters: So this is your first social campaign- maybe ever. Don’t panic! Social media is a platform that doesn’t thrive on perfection. Use trial and error to determine what engages followers. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to learn from others and even learn from your clients! Being “new” to social media can be a great excuse to learn and gain respect from consumers who don’t expect you to know all the ropes just yet.

Start Small: One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your social media endeavors is to take on more than you can handle. If this is your first ever attempt at going social- don’t create a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Vine, and Instagram all at once. It is always better to do one thing really well than to try and haphazardly to have your hands in everything at once. For entrepreneurs—and really anyone in a B2B industry—Linkedin is a great place to start to grow your network.

Track, Track, Track: Keep a close eye on your website analytics and definitely take a few minutes to install a social media dashboard. These custom Google dashboards will not only allow you to see how many people are coming to your site from every social network (whether you have a profile on there or not), but what devices those users are coming from and how those users end up converting.

Have you already gotten started with your social media efforts? Connect with Crestmark on Linkedin today!